Cartridge-crimping tool



(No Model.)

'F. WIOHELHAUS.

GAR TRIDGB GRIMPING TOOL. No. 404,811. Patented June 4, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICK WICHELI-IAUS, OF N El/VARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BAILEY, FARRELL A: CO., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARTRIDGE-CRIMPING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,811, dated June 4, 1889. Application filed January 31, 1889. Serial No. 298,211. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICK WIoHEL- HAUS, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Cartridge-Crimping Tools, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a cartridge indented with my implement, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of same.

My improved crimping device is made in general form in the manner of pinehers or pliers having jaws which act to produce the required indentation in the cartridge-shell for the purpose of retaining the wad in place.

It consists of. two parts a and b, which are pivotally connected in the usual manner at c, and each consisting of a handle portion and a jaw or crimping portion. The handle portions are preferably provided with a spring (I, which tends to separate them and to open the crimping or indenting jaws. The jaws a and b are of peculiar construction. The jaw a is at its end and on the inner side made convex in form to conform to the shape of the inside of the cartridge-shell, and is provided with a notch a of the general outline of a right pyramid, although it might be conical or conoidal. The jaw b is at its end provided with a tongue or projection b which is the counterpart in shape of the notch a of the jaw a. p

The figures of the drawings illustrate the manner in which the crimping-tool is used. The jaw a is inserted within the cartridgeshell as close to the wad as possible, and then by pressing the handle portions of the crimper together the tongue 19 is caused to press upon the exterior of the shell and to force some of the material thereof into the notch a and produeing on the interior of the shell a projection which will prevent the loosening or removal of the wad. As many of these indentations may be produced in the shell as desired, each compression of the tool sufiicing to produce one such indentation.

It is to be observed that the projection 29 does not pass through an opening in the opposite jaw; but is arrested by the bottom of the notch a and hence it does not cut, tear, or otherwise rupture or sever the material of the shell, as

it would were it to go through an opening; but it simply upsets or indents the shell, and hence upon the discharge of the cartridge the outgoing wad or wads pressing against the indentations serve to smooth out the indentations and restore the shell to its original shape and fit for reuse. So far as I am aware this has not hitherto been possible, for all tools of this character to me known have ruptured, punctured, or incised the shell and permanently mutilated it, so as to render it in- 6 5 capable of repeated use intact, and this results from the punch going through an opening instead of co-operating with a jaw that is only notched. Moreover, the pyramidal form of the indentation, with its base next to the wad, makes it an exceedingly secure fastening for the wad.

I deem as within my invention and as covered by my claim herein a tongue or projection b and notch a that operate as described, and whose shape may vary from a pyramid, as suggested.

The ends of the handle portions of the crimper are curved inwardly and somewhat sharpened and rounded, so that they may be used as pliers to extract cartridges from the breech of a gun.

The advantages of my invention are the extreme simplicity of the apparatus, its cheapness of construction, and the rapidity and facility with which it performs it work.

I claim as my invention As a device for indenting cartridge-shells, pivoted jaws, one of which is provided at its end with a pyramidal or equivalent projeetion having its base outermost, and which is adapted to engage the exterior of the shell, and the other of which is provided with a reeess or indentation the counterpart of said projection, substantially as and for the pur- 5 poses described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of December, A. D. 1888.

FRIEDRICK \VICHELHAUS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES M. LUM, LOUIS A. SAYN. 

